Bi-lingual Homeschooling and Teaching your Home Culture
By Olga (Olya) Robbins, CMI Teacher Training Coordinator
I will begin by telling you a story. Some years ago, when I was teaching in a private school, a new student commented, “You sound like someone who speaks another language”. “That is right, I do,” I replied, noticing how politely he acknowledged the fact that I have an accent. “And what kind of husband do you have,” the boy continued, “is he the kind that also speaks another language, or is he a normal kind?” I replied that my husband is “the normal kind”, and then came the final question,”Then how come your kids can speak your language?”
This is a great question!
Since before my children were born, I knew that I wanted them to speak my first language, Russian. I wanted to be able to share my favorite childhood books (the ones that used to belong to my mom when she was little) with them. I wanted them to be able to laugh at movies, understand puns, or visit my grandmother in the Ukraine and listen to her life stories. My husband (the “normal” kind) supported me in this desire, as he saw being able to grow up with two languages as a wonderful gift.
One of the reasons I started homeschooling my oldest daughter was because seeing her language acquisition (by the time she was 3, she was fluent in both), I wanted to take it to the next level - reading and writing. In those early years, we had an “English” part of the day and the “Russian” part. My kids did not always want to do that, so I had to be creative. I persuaded them that a certain hat “erased my English brain” and when I had it on, I only spoke Russian. My girls would say, “Mom, please take it off for just a second, we don’t know how to say this word in Russian.” We had some dolls that my children believed did not speak English - they were gifts that came from overseas, and the girls came up with games, using their Russian and coming to me for help when the dolls did not know how to say something. In the early days, it was a combination of creativity and perseverance that helped us build a base of their bi-lingual education.
Over the years, my dream of being able to read books that were living to me with my children, watch movies, or communicate with loved ones from far away came to be our reality. As the kids entered their teen years, speaking two languages and learning to code-switch between the cultures helped them assist refugee families, understand different points of view, and develop a nuanced way of looking at complex issues of culture and geo-politics.
Now, as I am homeschooling my youngest, who is in the 8th grade, we build our daily schedule using the Alveary, but adding to it Russian language, literature, and history (this year, we are using a wonderful book called the Land of the Firebird by Suzanne Massey). Through this journey, I learned what I already knew by reading Charlotte Mason: that relational education is the key to everything. A language is a medium of connecting people; it is a key to unlocking poetry and living books, and giving our children the way of seeing the world in another way.
Notes:
- Member Survey: Tell us what you love about Alveary and what we can improve! Your feedback shapes what we create next. As a thank you, you’ll be entered to win an Amazon gift card. Congrats to our second week of winners, Amy and Judith! We have one more week of giveaways. Complete the survey now for your best chance to win.
- Easter Book List: Over the years, our Alveary community has shared so many of their favorite Easter stories, and we’ve gathered them into a printable Easter book list with links to make it easy for your family to enjoy together.
- Supply Lists: Supply lists are live! Watch the supply list video or read the transcript on your dashboard for very helpful hints to save money and reduce overbuying. The Hive is a great place to discuss supplies with experienced Alveary members and staff.
- Living Book Press Sale: The LBP Birthday sale is here! All products are 20% off and audiobooks are 50% off until April 6. Shop here.
- Summer CMI Courses: Looking for opportunities to deepen your understanding of Charlotte Mason's ideas? Registration is open for all Summer courses! Have questions? We'd love to talk with you at an upcoming open house!
- 2026 CMI Conference: The complete list of speakers, session titles, and track options for Faithfully Present 2026 is now live on our website! Whether you’re a home or classroom educator there’s a track just for you. View them all here.
- Friends & Fellow Labourers: Pull up a chair and join our virtual series where parents and educators come together to explore Charlotte Mason’s ideas and find fresh encouragement. Learn more here. BONUS: When you register for Alveary in April, you will get a complimentary ticket for one session!
- In the Company of Ideas: During the month of April, we are discussing The Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History over in the Hive. Grab a copy of the book and come join us! Also, stay tuned for a video discussing the book with the author!
Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
